Mind Over Matter Or You WILL Get Fatter!

Tis the season to gain weight! Right?

(I know…I’m fully of stupid cliches today…sorry)

I have to say that even I am more lax and forgiving during the holiday season, and I think you have to be. To deprive yourself of all the sugary goodness is just cruel. That being said, here’s a few tips to avoid shattering your world when you step on the scale in January.

Drink water. Lots of it. Start your day with 8 oz, cold, before you do anything. Just chug it. Then move onto your coffee or tea or whatever it may be. It’s a necessity in order for your body to operate at its best. To learn more about this trick, click here

Look Ahead! I’m the type of gal that will gladly eat a little less at dinner in order to indulge more during dessert. Let’s face it…dessert is pretty much jumping in your hands 24/7, this time of year. But a great tip, to avoid excessive weight gain is balance and planning. For instance, today my kids and I baked close to 400 cookies! Tons of sugar, bricks of butter, lard, lard, and cellulite! But for me, there’s no other way to bake cookies. Knowing that I would be bombarded with all this sugary goodness for the better half of the day, my food choices were high in proteins and vegetables. I eliminated refined carbs on the front end, so I could enjoy some on the back end. It’s simple adjustments that will save you.

DON’T use this as your final “Hurrah.” Don’t quit on yourself and eat whatever you want just because it’s the end of the year and you are planning on making resolutions in a few weeks. Making minor adjustments now without total deprivation is helping you get in the right mindset to make changes.

Don’t think exercise is a waste because you’re “going to eat badly anyways.” Yesterday I knew I was going to choose to eat chips and put cream in my coffee. I did 30 minutes of cardio, knowing it was going to be a wash, calorie wise. But did that stop me? Of course not. Something is always better than nothing, and I will proudly work out for cookies during Christmas. It doesn’t make me feel like I wasted my time, but instead, it makes me appreciate how hard I have to work for rewards like that and with that in mind, it really puts a halt on overindulging. There’s a difference between enjoyment and gluttony.

When you want to keep eating, know that your mind is a powerful thing. It’s ironic that your mind will always tell you to stop during a workout when you feel pain, but when you’re overeating, it cheers you on. Take moments to stop and enjoy conversations and togetherness at parties. Try to stay away from areas where you can just pick and pick. Use a plate so you are aware of how much you are consuming. If you are absolutely losing control, brush your teeth if you can or grab a stick of gum. Changing what your tastebuds are loving interrupts the signals to your brain that are telling you to keep going.

Remember, food is just food. It is fuel. You are what you put in your body. I am a firm believer that sugar is one of the worse things you can eat or drink. Enjoy yourself, but set limits and always keep goals in the front of your mind. Don’t put your health on the back burner. You only have one body. Let’s start thinking ahead for 2015 and making goals to create the best “you” you can be.

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Meet Michelle

Thanks for visiting my blog! My name is Michelle and I am a happy, married mother of four. I love to write about my blended family, fitness, nutrition, and even throw in an occasional rant here and there! I enjoy hearing from my followers, so if you have any input or questions regarding anything you read, please leave a comment!